Back then, Bitcoin Cash addresses and Bitcoin addresses used the same format, so it was easy to confuse one kind for the other. We wanted to make sure our users didn’t accidentally send Bitcoin Cash to a Bitcoin wallet and vice versa. To stop that from happening, we adopted new format conventions for addresses:

We have modified these example addresses to prevent people from sending payments to them. Don’t try it.

Instead of the address starting with a 1 or a 3, we had Bitcoin Cash addresses start with a C. So far, this has prevented many Bitcoin Cash users from mistakenly sending to Bitcoin addresses.

But since many other services and wallets do not use our address format, this can make it hard to use Bitcoin Cash outside of the BitPay and Copay wallets. It has been possible to translate between address formats, but this is not a simple fix for most users.

Bitcoin ABC’s New Address Format

Other groups in the Bitcoin Cash ecosystem have also been aware of the potential confusion caused by the legacy BCH address format. One group of developers for Bitcoin Cash called BitcoinABC has been building consensus behind a new Bitcoin Cash address format called “CashAddr.”

We have modified this example address to prevent people from sending payments to it. Don’t try it.

Many services and wallet providers in the Bitcoin Cash ecosystem are moving to adopt this format. We are joining them. The new release (3.12.1+) of the BitPay and Copay wallets support this Cashaddr format for Bitcoin Cash addresses by default.

This address format protects Bitcoin Cash wallet users from mistaken payments to BTC addresses, just like the format we were using before. We also expect most Bitcoin Cash wallets and exchanges to adopt the Cashaddr format in the coming months. This change will bring greater compatibility with the Bitcoin Cash ecosystem, along with more security against the risk of mistaken payments to Bitcoin addresses. Everybody wins!

Big thanks to the BitcoinABC team for working on this improved address format!